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Austin legend Jon Dee Graham plays “This Old Guitar”

Jon Dee Graham’s parts Strat has been his stage and studio mainstay for more than four decades. Assembled by Mark Younger-Smith with a ’64 neck, ’63 pickups, and a Custom Shop reissue body finished in Shoreline Gold that lends testimony to the years and miles. Here, he plays it through a 30-watt Carr, jamming on the lick and lead from “This Old Guitar,” a track from his latest album, “Only Dead For A Little While.” Catch our review in the April issue. Read Now!


Premiere of Seth Lee Jones’ new 110 video!

Filmed at one of our favorite local dive bars, Tin Dog, this is “110.” I played my main guitar, a battle scarred Tele style I built from scratch in 2006. It’s a one piece ash body, one piece birdseye maple neck with single carbon fiber neck reinforcement. The neck is non adjustable and has no radius, it’s dead flat like a classical. The bender unit is a modified Hipshot palm lever unit. It’s loaded with mcnelly pickups, stagger swagger neck and dual blade bridge. It’s tuned open D with a String Joy custom set .017,.017., .026, .032, 0 42., .053 nickel. Keep up with Seth on Instagram!


Austin legend Jon Dee Graham plays “This Old Guitar”

Jon Dee Graham’s parts Strat has been his stage and studio mainstay for more than four decades. Assembled by Mark Younger-Smith with a ’64 neck, ’63 pickups, and a Custom Shop reissue body finished in Shoreline Gold that lends testimony to the years and miles. Here, he plays it through a 30-watt Carr, jamming on the lick and lead from “This Old Guitar,” a track from his latest album, “Only Dead For A Little While.” Catch our review in the April issue. Read Now!


Premiere of Seth Lee Jones’ new 110 video!

Filmed at one of our favorite local dive bars, Tin Dog, this is “110.” I played my main guitar, a battle scarred Tele style I built from scratch in 2006. It’s a one piece ash body, one piece birdseye maple neck with single carbon fiber neck reinforcement. The neck is non adjustable and has no radius, it’s dead flat like a classical. The bender unit is a modified Hipshot palm lever unit. It’s loaded with mcnelly pickups, stagger swagger neck and dual blade bridge. It’s tuned open D with a String Joy custom set .017,.017., .026, .032, 0 42., .053 nickel. Keep up with Seth on Instagram!


Dominic Miller

Team Player, Solo Turn

A longtime member of Sting’s band, Dominic Miller is the quintessential team player, even on his own solo albums. His latest release is Vagabond, a melding of jazz, world music, and pop produced by studio icon Manfred Eicher. The enchanting music is led by Miller’s acoustic guitar, yet he never overplays. Rather, he lets other […]

David Bromberg

Testifying for 
the Blues

Jerry Jeff Walker said it best. Describing David Bromberg’s contribution to Walker’s trademark 1968 song, “Mr. Bojangles,” he said simply that Bromberg was “the reason man created stringed instruments.” And when he played, “Wood and wire and flesh spoke.” Kind words. More importantly, though, they offer rare – and oft-forgotten – insight to the multi-instrumentalist’s […]

Chris Stein

Blondie’s Guitar Basher

While Blondie’s Chris Stein won’t be mistaken for a shredder soloist, there’s no debate he’s an underrated rhythm guitarist and gifted songwriter, as he co-wrote (with singer Debbie Harry) classic tunes such as “Heart of Glass,” “Dreaming,” “Rip Her to Shreds,” “In the Flesh,” and “Rapture,” among others. Blondie recently released Pollinator, its 11th studio […]

St. Blues Juke Joint Series

St. Blues Juke Joint Series

Domestic Bliss

With the elimination of its Korean-made Pro Series and the introduction of the Juke Joint Series, Memphis-based St. Blues can boast an entire lineup made in the good ol’ U.S. of A. St. Blues’ initial offerings in the Juke Joint Series include the Bluesmaster and Mississippi Bluesmaster guitars, along with the Legendary Bass. With their […]

Neal Schon

Driven Journey Man

It’s been 11 years since Journey released a new studio album, and its latest, Freedom, is packed with 15 arena-ready rockers and ballads. Lead guitarist/co-founder Neal Schon, keyboardist/guitarist Jonathan Cain, and vocalist Arnel Pineda were assisted by bassist and “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson (who played on Raised on Radio and Journey’s 1986 tour) and […]

The Sammick Viper

Some guitars hit the market at the perfect time to becom e classics – think Les Paul and Stratocaster. Some experience brief popularity, then slip into obscurity – think Bond Electroglide. Yet others are intrinsically interesting but their timing is off, and they have to percolate their way into our consciousness. The Samick Viper is […]

A Guide to Vintage Dobros

John Dopyera left National in 1929 to begin work on a secret project – a single-cone resonator guitar he believed superior to the Triolian. His instrument became synonymous with resonator guitars.

Chordal Colorations

Iconic Axes of Different Hues

Though their colors are complementary, Brian May’s Red Special and Brian Setzer’s ’59 Gretsch 6120 couldn’t be more different in terms of their origin or their roles in helping to create legendary music. One is home-made, the other represents the innovation of its era. One appeared on stages worldwide, rendering purist tones of a bygone […]

Paul Nelson

Main Man to the Blues Man

Paul Nelson is not only Johnny Winter’s second guitarist, but the blues icon’s musical director, producer, songwriter, and – many say – life saver. Fans who have recently seen Winter will attest to Nelson’s guitar prowess and ability to complement Winter. The resulting fireworks provide some of the best shows of Winter’s long career. The […]

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Gibson Tal Farlow

The Tal Farlow is one guitar in a quartet of full-depth Gibson Artists models first cataloged in the early 1960s. Introduced in ’62, it was based on the ES-350 – the guitar Farlow used with Red Norvo and his own trio in the mid ’50s. A truly professional instrument, built in the tradition of ’50s Gibson […]

Dan Wilson

In Mighty Footsteps

A riveting soloist, Dan Wilson honed his chops as a sideman to jazz greats like organist Joey DeFrancesco and bassist Christian McBride. If his latest, Vessels of Wood and Earth, occasionally sounds reminiscent of a young George Benson, that’s no accident, as the ’60s soul-jazz wave was a key influence. Throughout the hard-swinging album, Wilson […]

The Beatles’ Casinos

Of all the guitars made famous by the Beatles, the only one that John, Paul, and George had in common was the Epiphone Casino. Each owned one and used it for countless recordings and performances.

Tim Lerch

Tim Lerch

Tele Jazz Master

If you watch any of Tim Lerch’s videos online, his virtuosity is immediately apparent. What may throw you is his use of a Telecaster, an axe more closely associated with blues, country, and rock. But in Lerch’s hand, it becomes a killer jazz-blues machine, perfect for his tasty single-note runs and jaw-dropping chord improvisations. Lerch’s […]

Kenny Brown

Mississippi Slide

The Black Keys’ latest album, Delta Kream, is a collection of blues standards from the Mississippi Hill Country. Drummer Patrick Carney and guitarist Dan Auerbach expanded their duo with a team of Hill Country specialists including virtuoso slide guitarist Kenny Brown. As the guitarist for R.L. Burnside and many other Northern Mississippi blues artists, Brown […]

Gibson Copper Iridescent Les Pauls

All That Glitters

Brought to Gruhn Guitars, an oddball brown Les Paul consigned by its owner in Minnesota caught the attention of a web-surfing Bonamassa. More fascinated than interested, he sent a link to his friend, Mat Koehler, guitarist/collector and Senior Director of Product Development at Gibson Guitars’ Nashville headquarters. “Joe asked if I thought it was real, […]

Universal Audio Ruby, Woodrow & Dream

Model Of Perfection

With digital recording more popular than ever, audio designers are working to capture guitar tone directly, without miking an amp. Universal Audio – renowned maker of studio gear – has introduced three pedals to get the job done, each modeled on a specific vintage amp. The Ruby ’63 Top Boost Amplifier is UA’s tribute to […]

BC Audio Amplifier No. 10 Mk. II

BC Audio Amplifier No. 10 Mk. II

Big-Tone City

BC Audio Amplifier No. 10 Mk. II Price: $2,495 (list) Contact: www.bcaudio.com Bruce Clement is known for his quality amp work, including models housed in military ammo cans. One of his 50-watt heads, the Amplifier No. 10 Mk. II, might not be quite that unique, but it sports fresh features in a crowded “boutique” market. […]

Ty Tabor’s Six-String Meditation!

King’s X Guitarists’s solo work is mindful, complex Ty Tabor used his Player Strat (with a JB Jr. pickup at the bridge) to play this cool rendition of “Insane,” from his new solo album, “Shades,” on which he paints with an array of guitar tones, emotions, and melodies. “I’m running straight through an Orange Super […]

Boss Katana 100

Impressive Amenities

More and more, guitarists’ passion for tube amps is being balanced by the rise of quality digital, solidstate, and modeling amps, and for good reason – they’re often inexpensive while packing a huge range of features. The Boss Katana series is an interesting combination of price and tone in this category. The Katana 100 has […]

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